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Originally Posted by kjc  I don't know if kidneys regenerate or repair themselves. |
Ok I really had to dust off my memory for this one but I think I remember it. Ellie May probably knows it off the top of her head in more detail but here goes...
The kidney in fish can completely regenerate but in mammals it is limited. The reason the liver can regenerate is due to it having unique cells called hepatocytes. Hepatocytes are unipotent cells, meaning they have a characteristic where they can regenerate themselves. Part of the skin is also an example of a unipotent cell.
I believe there are some kidney components that can regenerate but the regnereation biology is not like that of the liver.